Romney Taps Michele Bachmann's Debate Coach

Everybody's making jokes about news that Mitt Romney has hired Brett O'Donnell, who The New York Times describes as "a top debate coach" and "one of Michele Bachmann's top strategists." O'Donnell's actually been working with Romney since Bachmann dropped out of the race after finishing sixth in Iowa. It's unclear how much magic he'll be able to inject into the former Massachusetts governor since it was under O'Donnell's watch that Bachmann famously gaffed about not having made any gaffes on Greta van Sustern's Fox News show in November. The Washington Post's Rachel Weiner sarcastically called her "gaffe-proof" after the debate and listed some of the gaffes:

Bachmann repeatedly, incorrectly said that the Revolutionary War began in New Hampshire rather than Massachusetts. She praised Waterloo, Iowa as the birthplace of John Wayne -- it was actually John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer. She wished Elvis a happy birthday on the anniversary of his death. She claimed, with no evidence, that the HPV vaccine can cause autism.

And those are just the most famous ones.

Just because Bachmann is a little bit gaffe prone doesn't mean that O'Donnell will serve as a bad debate coach for Romney -- he might do a great job! After all, this isn't O'Donnell's first election; in 2008, he served a similar role in the John McCain's campaign. And we all know how that turned out.

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.